Great to be back in San Diego. Last week I led two different companies in Utah through creating a “Communication Blueprint” for their organizations. This week I am here in San Diego taking two different companies through that same process. The interesting thing is that employees are the most important asset in your company and in a recent Gallop Poll it showed only one third of all companies have a clear communication plan. Of the companies that do, an even smaller percentage update it regularly and use communications effectively. Of those companies that actually did, they had a 21 percent increase in productivity from their employees. Every organization is looking for a competitive edge and yet they overlook one of the key ingredients to grow a culture within their company that thrives and has a major impact on their bottom line.
I am not a wizard, but I have been able to get ‘magical’ results for my clients.
Like anything, I have become an expert in this field because I studied it and have learned over years of experience what works and what doesn’t. If communication skills are so vital to success, it fascinates me that more time and energy getting extremely focused in communication guidelines isn’t done more in both small and large companies. If statistics show a 21 percent increase in productivity and employee well-being, why does this not take a higher priority? I think the answer is we are all so busy in the doing that we don’t have time to be more successful. We equate workload with success. Over the years I have learned the method of “slow down to get there fast” and my business has never been better.
What in the world? How do you slow down and get there fast?
One way is to learn communication techniques that has everyone working “more efficiently” and not just harder. It’s like taking the time to finely tune a high-performance car in order to get the best ride and experience possible. The following list is what I believe to be the most important aspects in which we communicate:
- Style: Preferred by the receiver
How are you delivering your message? For one person it could be perfect, but that same style might not work for someone else. What you need to do is deliver your message in the style preferred by the receiver. Yes, this takes awareness and practice, but in the long run you will be very happy you took the time to learn how to do this.
- Body Language: Be in harmony with the message you wish to convey.
How you carry yourself speaks volumes without words. Be mindful of its impact. When you align your body language with the core of your message, this causes a subconscious interpretation of the message and influences the impact of what you communicate in words.
- Words:Choose them with care.
Respect the power of the spoken word; as well as the written word. Don’t enter into idle or harmful gossip in either case. And always speak with respect and integrity by keeping the individual differences of others in mind. Remember, you can build or destroy, and strengthen or weaken your relationships by the word choices you make.
- Tone:Be gentle, yet bold.
Always be mindful of the tone in which your words are conveyed. Barking orders or demands belongs in lower levels of the animal kingdom. To a great degree, messages are interpreted and accepted, or ultimately rejected, by the tonality of their delivery. Make sure yours is gentle, and yet bold enough for the right impact.
As you can see, there’s more to effective communication than meets the eye (and ears for that matter). Even if you are an entrepreneur, these principles are crucial in your eventual and continued success. So, feel free to reach out to me if you want you or your company to dive deeper into this very important aspect of growing a successful business or company with more advanced communication skills.
Dave Austin
Extreme Focus Founder
co-author of the #1 International Bestseller “BE A BEAST: Unleash Your Animal Instincts for Performance Driven Results”
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